Chapter 001: Her Majesty Has Been a Bit Troubled Lately

Shen Qinghu had been rather vexed lately. She was reincarnated in the womb, but her main soul hadn’t awakened until last year.

This was mostly because the food she’d eaten since childhood contained too little energy, and as a child, she had no way to obtain any high-energy spiritual items. Her main soul had only managed to awaken at the age of fifteen thanks to her mother and elder brother in this life, who would sneak her out to steal food; otherwise, it would have taken even longer.

To think that she, once a renowned Divine King, had ended up in such a pitiful state—how utterly absurd.

Once she woke, her first thought was that reforging her divine body and condensing her soul was her own business. She certainly didn’t want to burden her current parents. So she came up with her own solution: she raised a pondful of savage spirit-fish, their flesh brimming with potent energy, intending to eat them herself. That way, she wouldn’t trouble anyone else.

But before the fishlings had even grown, her future cousin-in-law managed to fall in. Though someone quickly fished him out, he’d nearly been gnawed down to a skeleton. Poor man!

Afterward, her cousin-in-law’s family clung to her relentlessly and insisted she be punished by being sent off to the Eastern Wilderness as a frontier lord.

The problem was, with her delicate physique, wasn’t she just meat for the beasts out there?

Did this mean she truly had to find a new body?

Qinghu scratched her little head, sighing in frustration.

At that moment, her father, Shen Fangxu, entered. His daughter’s little room was quite well arranged—small but complete. His wife had clearly put much thought into it.

He beckoned Qinghu to sit beside him. “Do you realize your mistake?”

Qinghu grinned foolishly.

“If that Ren family boy hadn’t gotten his hands on an Ancestor’s Limb Restoration Pill, he’d be crippled for good, and your cousin would be left a widow. Do you understand that?”

“I didn’t tell him to come into my courtyard, did I?” Qinghu felt she’d been wronged, terribly wronged.

“And I didn’t tell you to raise a pond of eighth-tier savage fish, did I?” Shen Fangxu retorted, exasperated.

“…”

“It’s too late to talk about it now,” he continued. “Let me ask you: do you dare go open up the wilderness?”

Qinghu was surprised. “Father, wouldn’t I just be food out there? With my small body, how many savage beasts would it take to finish me off?”

“Actually, I’ve thought it through. This is an opportunity.” Shen Fangxu explained, “You’ll go, but only in name. The actual affairs will be left to Uncle Zhao, who’ll accompany you as your steward.”

“Father’s old friend, Uncle Zhao?” Qinghu asked.

“That’s right, him.”

“I don’t have to do anything, just act as the figurehead? Will there be people protecting me?” Qinghu asked, quick-witted.

“Of course, sweetheart. I wouldn’t send you off unprotected. They’ll take a different route, but you’ll see them when you arrive. There aren’t many, only five, but that’s more than enough for your safety. Also, your fourth brother will go too. Officially, he’ll be there to protect you.”

“That’s fine. Fourth Brother is already at the sixth level of Qi Refinement—he’s really strong.”

If they couldn’t fight the beasts, surely they could at least run. As long as she had protection, Qinghu thought her chances of survival were decent.

“I’ll send your eldest brother after you too, a little later. When you’re there, you and your fourth brother are to obey Uncle Zhao and your eldest brother.”

“Alright.” Qinghu was quite satisfied with her father’s arrangements; at least she wouldn’t have to contemplate changing bodies again.

“By the way, what do you plan to do with your fish?” Shen Fangxu smiled as he listened to his daughter’s bold words. In truth, the family was desperately poor. He was preparing to break through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, and his wife had been stuck at the ninth level of Qi Refinement for over a decade—she couldn’t afford further delay.

He’d long been searching for a breakthrough, and never expected that a pondful of savage fish would present him with an opportunity.

“Can I bring them with me?” Qinghu asked timidly. She couldn’t bear to part with her fish—once they were grown, imagine how many meals they’d provide! And as fish breed, their numbers would multiply endlessly—she could eat them for a lifetime.

Shen Fangxu winced. “How do you expect to bring so many fishlings?”

“Why not buy me a spirit gourd for water-type beasts?”

“No. Three thousand red gold coins—for a gourd? Too expensive.” He rejected her instantly.

“Then could you at least lend me one?”

“That I can do,” he agreed after a moment’s thought. “But officially, all your fishlings must be executed.”

“Then you should buy a batch of ninth-tier savage fishlings to kill. Mine are eighth-tier, far too valuable for that. I’d never let you waste them,” Qinghu bargained.

Shen Fangxu’s headache worsened.

“We have to be careful of the Ren family.”

“They won’t know the difference—all fishlings look alike. Besides, you’ve already told them they’re ninth-tier. Truth is, I’m raising sixth-tier Light Sword Fish, and no one’s noticed after all this time.”

“I’ll see what I can do. If you need anything else, get ready in the next few days. You depart in three days.”

“So soon? Can’t it be delayed?” Qinghu protested in surprise.

“No, the Ren family is pressing.”

“Are they in such a rush to see me dead?”

“Can’t you just keep some things to yourself?” Shen Fangxu muttered.

“But Father, this concerns my life!”

“You have parents, don’t you? Would we watch you die?” Shen Fangxu pinched his daughter’s chubby cheek. Her little face was so round—she’d clearly snuck plenty of treats.

As for his wife’s habit of selling private spirits through the family tavern and taking the children for little feasts, Shen Fangxu could only turn a blind eye. The family’s resources were so scarce that even the Foundation Establishment elders had their monthly stipends halved. As for disciples above the sixth level of Qi Refinement, they hadn’t received any allowance for ten years; if they didn’t earn extra on the side, would they just starve?

He didn’t blame the clan chief for being so ruthless—they desperately needed money for Foundation Establishment Pills for the ninth-level Qi Refinement elders. Once those elders advanced, the family’s strength would rise, and they could vie for more resources in the county. With those resources, the Shen clan wouldn’t have to remain so impoverished.

“Shall I assign you a few clansmen from the side branches as well?”

Qinghu shook her little hands vigorously. “No need, no need. I’m still a child—I have no authority and they wouldn’t listen to me. If they discover my fish, wouldn’t they report I’m raising eighth-tier savage fish? If that gets out, our entire clan would have to flee to Wuding City in the depths of the Eastern Wilderness.”

Shen Fangxu broke into a cold sweat. Damn, he’d forgotten about the fish. If word spread, the Ren family would absolutely find out. The Shen clan was like a sieve these days, leaking everywhere. Raising ninth-tier fish was overlooked, but eighth-tier was a death sentence.

“I understand. No side branches. I’ll be careful when selecting strong commoners for you—clean records are essential.”

“It’s best if they have nothing to do with the Shen clan. Father, just recruit some refugees. I hear quite a few have arrived in town recently.”